Fundraiser Set Up For Family Of Howell Dad, Girl Killed In Crash

HOWELL, NJ — A fundraiser has been set up to help with the expenses for the surviving wife and mother of a Howell man and his 5-year-old daughter who were killed in a crash on the George Washington Bridge last week.

Hector Pedercini, 50, and his daughter, Marianna Pedercini, 5, were pronounced dead at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital, where they were taken after the crash Thursday. Mariella Pedercini, 40, who is Hector's wife and Marianna's mother, and her 1-year-old baby, along with Mariella's mother, Elda Lainez, 64, also of Howell, were injured in the crash, police have said. They too were taken to Columbia Presbyterian, police said.

Police said the crash occurred when the family's GMC Acadia struck the back of a 2008 International box truck that was stopped in the left lane on the eastbound upper level on the New York side of the bridge shortly before 9 p.m.

"Hector and Marianna were so full of life and spirit," wrote family friend Krys Michele, who set up the GoFundme campaign. "You could find them watching a soccer game together or taking a walk on the beach. Their smiles could light up any room. They were tragically taken from us leaving behind a single mother to care for her children on her own."

Krys Michele said the campaign is called "Butterfly Wings of Angels in Memory" because the little girl loved the winged insects.

"We are calling this Butterfly Wings to represent Marianna’s love for Butterflies and the two Angels in which we will remember forever," she said.

The campaign had raised about $2,000 of its $25,000 goal as of Monday morning. Click here to contribute.

Butterflies, by Jonathan Leung, via Flickr, under Creative Commons license